The Successors of the Paramaras at Vagada
By J. Sundaram
Summary
The article examines the succession of rulers in the Vagada region following the Paramara dynasty. The last known Paramara ruler of Vagada was Vijayapiladeva, whose Arthina inscription dates to V. ૭. 1166 (A.D. 1108-09). After this date, inscriptions from V. ૪. ૭. 1242 mention Maharajadhiraja Amritapiladeva, son of Vijayapiladeva alias Bhartripatta, who ruled under the suzerainty of Caulukya Bhima II. The article argues that these successors were not connected to the Paramara dynasty and may have been governors who shifted allegiance to the Caulukyas during the invasion of Mailava by Caulukya Siddharaja Jayasimha. The text discusses the transition of power to the Guhilots. It is conjectured that Samantasimha, the ruler of Mewad who was dispossessed of his kingdom, captured Vagada to continue the senior line of the Guhilots. This occupation is indirectly supported by an inscription dated V. 5. 1236 at Salaj in the Dungarpur State. However, the Guhilots were later dispossessed by Amritapila, who reinstated himself around V. 5. 1242 with the help of the Caulukyas of Anahilapataka. The article traces the subsequent Guhilot rulers of Vagada, including Sihadadeva (Riwal Sihadadeva), who is mentioned in an inscription at Jagat dated V. S. 1277, and his son Jayasimhadeva, who succeeded him between V. S. 1291 and V. S. 1306. Another ruler, Devapiladeva, is mentioned in the Mala plate of Maharajakula Virasimhadeva, though the exact relationship is unclear. The family became firmly established at Vagada until the dissection of the kingdom into the states of Dungarpur and Banswara in the second quarter of the 16th century. The article also notes the shift of the capital from Arthina to Vatapadraka (identified with Badoda in the Dungarpur State) and later to Dungarpur. The author relies on various inscriptions and historical works, including D. C. Ganguly's History of the Paramara Dynasty, Bhandarkar's List, the An. Rep. Rajputana Museum reports, and G. H. Ojha's Rajputane ka Itibas, as well as the accounts of Munhot Nainsi.
AI-generated summary, automatically checked against the article text.
Conclusion
The article traces the complex political transition in Vagada following the decline of the Paramara dynasty. It establishes that the immediate successors were likely local governors, such as Vijayapala and his descendants, who assumed royal titles and ruled under the suzerainty of the Caulukyas before being displaced by Guhilot forces. The central figure in this transition is Samantasimha, who, after being ousted from Mewad, established the senior Guhilot line in Vagada. The text further details the subsequent internal conflicts, including the temporary displacement of Samantasimha’s successors by Amritapila and the eventual reassertion of Guhilot control. Ultimately, this lineage solidified its power, leading to the geographical and political division of the Vagada region into the states of Dungarpur and Banswara by the sixteenth century.